Joshua Kimmich learning Spanish from Real Madrid song

The Germany international, 22, has said many of his teammates do not even know he is learning Spanish and perhaps this is why: he’s doing it with the help of the Real Madrid club song.

“The lads do not realise I am always listening in the changing rooms and already understand a great deal,” he told Bild, who published a photo that shows part of his vocab test is to learn the anthem of the European champions.

Spanish speakers James Rodriguez (Colombia) and Arturo Vidal (Chile) belong to Bayern’s first-team squad, alongside Spain’s Thiago Alcantara, Javi Martinez and Juan Bernat, so he certainly won’t be short of practice in the changing room.

“Just training every day and coming home is not enough for me so my mother had the idea to learn another language,” he added. “I learnt French in school and can already speak English. Because we have so many Spaniards in the team it seemed like a good idea.”

Kimmich became a favourite of former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola during his time in charge of the German giants, but that did not prevent him from being on the receiving end of a Nathan Redmond style “Pep talk” from the Catalan.